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The European pulp and paper sector has a long expertise in bioeconomy and has a significant role in providing solutions to many global challenges such as climate change, urbanization and ageing with using sustainable renewable materials. The European pulp and paper sector also offers easily recyclable solutions and answers to EU Circular Economy, Strategy on plastics in the circular economy and the UN Paris Agreement. Our sector operates in a circular way and resource efficiency is at the core of our operations. The growth volume of forests in Europe exceeds their use. Ensuring the growth of forests and their sustainable use is an important part of sustainable bioeconomy.

In its “2050 Roadmap to a low-carbon bioeconomy”, CEPI foresees that a growing part of the value added generated by the pulp and paper industry in Europe will come from breakthrough technologies and from the provision of a wider range of bio-based products, beyond pulp and paper. These products will contribute simultaneously to:

• a massive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
• substituting fossil-based materials,
• a transformation from a fossil-dependant economy to a renewable economy,
• fulfilling a number of sustainability challenges (as identified by the United Nations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)).

To achieve a competitive circular bioeconomy, stable and enabling policy conditions in various fields (including environment, infrastructure, transport, energy, agriculture, etc.) must be in place. The review of the 2012 European Bioeconomy Strategy provides the opportunity to set up such conditions. CEPI welcomes it and wants to be an active partner in preparing a new Circular bioeconomy strategy for Europe.

The assets of our industry in the bioeconomy

1. What did the existing strategy deliver that the paper industry welcomes?As confirmed in the review of the 2012 Strategy that has been publicised in November 2017 , the strategy has deliverd several positive results that the European paper industry welcomes.
Its mere existence has raised awareness on the likely benefits that the bioeconomy can bring to Europe’s economy and environment and therefore placed it on the policy radar screens. It has enabled the setup of an Institutional Public-Private Partnership, the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU), endowed with a EUR 3.7 billion budget over 7 years to support research, innovation, demonstration and flagship installations, and which has proved to be a success.
It has also triggered the development of several national and regional bioeconomy strategies that further amplify and tailor the benefits of the bioeconomy to the local circumstances.

2. The bioeconomy potential to address grand societal challengesThe smart development of a circular bioeconomy in Europe will contribute to remedy a number of critical environmental, economic and social challenges. Renewable and recyclable bio-based products:
• must be part of the climate change mitigation policies, thanks to their ability to store carbon, but also to avoid emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil-based or GHG intensive products that they are replacing
• help take environmental responsibility and achieve economic benefits through self-sufficiency (use of mainly locally sourced renewable resources and recycled resources).
• help limit the extraction and depletion of non-renewable resources.
• can reduce the amount of waste landfilled or spread in the environment (land and sea) thanks to their recyclability, but also their biodegradability and compostability.
• contribute to rural development and livelihood, as they depend on natural renewable resources growing on land and in the marine environment.

3. Towards a successful circular bioeconomy strategyWhat makes the paper industry unique is both the renewable biomass and recyclable feedstocks , grown , renewed and recycled in Europe. This contributes to a genuinely circular bioeconomy. In order to enhance the contribution and benefits of the circular bioeconomy to Europe’s economy and environment, CEPI calls on the EU to put further emphasis in the updated strategy on:
• Increasing the availability and mobilisation of biomass (including its transport): this requires notably the promotion of active forest management, the redress of policies that distort biomass supply chains and the adjustment of waste legislation to promote the recycling and recovery of waste and notably of the biomass in the waste.
• Boosting investors’ confidence, notably by de-risking investments made in Europe, and directing EU money (ESIF, EFSI, Research and Innovation) to sustainable sectors in a predictable and stable manner.
• Easing access to markets for a wide range of bio-based products by lifting obstacles to their circulation within the single market and by indicating clear preference for sustainable, circular and bio-based products.

4. Implementing concrete, measurable and time-bound actionsNext to updating the strategy, the related Action Plan must focus on a limited number of actionable and realistic actions that should be implemented in the short term.
• Capitalising on its current success (investments triggered, SME participation, leapfrogging innovations, …), the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking must be reconducted with at least the same budget.
• Research and innovation must remain a priority of the EU. The next Framework Programme for Research must factor in a “mission” that targets the climate challenge thanks to sustainable renewable resources.
• The development of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy must be a shared ambition across the European Institutions. Synergies and leverages within complementary policy initiatives must be seeked and enhanced, especially when it comes to the Circular Economy Package and the Climate and Energy policies.
• There must be mechanisms established – e.g. under rural development policy of the CAP –to boost the sustainable production of biomass, allowing for sharing the benefits of the bioeconomy between biomass producers and bio-based industries, while taking care of land, soil, water and biodiversity.
• Separate collection and sorting of biodegradable waste streams (incl. paper and board products) must become the standard and waste lanfilling must be effectively drastically restricted or banned in order to increase both the quality and quantity of waste feedstocks that can be recycled into high value bio-based products.
• Specific funding programmes (including venture capital) should be established to support technology transfer and entrepreneurial iniatives.
• While there exist already provisions for greening public procurement, such policy must also prescribe a preference for bio-based products (inspired by the US Bio-preferred programme). As public buyers, the EU Institutions themselves can already play an exemplary role.
• It is also of utmost importance to overcome misconceptions and misunderstandings concerning the bioeconomy. Ensuring the rapid availability of undisputable data and facts on the expected environmental, climate, social and economic benefits of the bioeconomy and bio-based products, is a must in order to raise awareness and promote the bioeconomy across Europe’s society at large.

1Review of the 2012 European Bioeconomy Strategy, European Commission, Directorate General For Research and Innovation, November 2017, https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a81308e3-cf37-11e7-a7df-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

The European paper industry takes a positive stance on the European Commission’s Staff Working Document on the review of the 2012 Bioeconomy Strategy.

“To achieve Europe’s bioeconomy and climate change agenda, it is essential that the EU lays down the conditions to spur the investments which shift Europe away from a ‘fossil-addicted’ economy. The European forest fibre and paper industry stands ready to captain this transformation but the EU’s future Bioeconomy Strategy must take a holistic approach and cease treating bioeconomy dossiers as separate and distinct” says Sylvain Lhôte, Director General of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI).

The European paper industry is, at its core, an entirely bio-based industry producing the only mainstream material that is both renewable and recyclable. As part of its 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’ to lead Europe’s bioeconomy transition, the industry foresees bringing 25 bn EUR of added value to the EU economy with pulp and paper-based novel bio products, while massively cutting carbon emissions. This transformation would require an estimated 44 bn EUR of additional investment in Europe to deploy game-changing technologies for new paper-based products and for establishing biorefineries that convert side-streams into advanced biochemicals.

The European Commission has recognised the importance of putting in place ‘a stable regulatory environment’ to support bioeconomy investments and the need to address the incoherence between the Action Plan and the Strategy. The Staff Working Document also mentions the need to better link the bioeconomy strategy with other policies, in particular the Circular Economy, which is both symbiotic and multiplies the benefits of the bioeconomy and mitigates climate change. At the same time, the Action Plan itself needs to be more specific, time bound, measurable and aligned with a reviewed Strategy.

The European paper industry believes that the time is ripe to accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon and circular bioeconomy. Cutting-edge initiatives like the flagship Biobased Industry Joint Undertaking should be prolonged and aligned with the new Strategy. Incentivising investments will also be crucial to ensuring Europe’s bioeconomy transition is put into full gear and builds on its ‘bioeconomy competitive advantage’.

Note to editor:
The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) is the pan-European association representing the forest fibre and paper industry. From forest fibre technology to advance paper design the industry currently invests 3.5 billion annually and is a leader of the low carbon circular bioeconomy transition. CEPI’s 2050 ‘Investment Roadmap’ outlines the industry’s vision to advance this transformation in Europe through value creation and decarbonisation. The full innovative bio-based potential of the industry will be on full display at European Paper Week, November 28-30 to which journalists and EU officials can attend free of charge.

For more information, please contact Bernard de Galembert, Bioeconomy and Innovation Director at b.degalembert@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 2627 49 27

CEPI is today opening the call for applications for the European edition of the “Blue Sky Young Researchers” award for innovation in the pulp and paper industry. Building on the success of the Young Researchers session traditionally held during our annual event European Paper Week this will be the very first time that the renewed award will be granted on a Europe only level.

Eight shortlisted candidates will receive a paid trip to Brussels, Belgium, to present their work before high-level guests and top industry CEOs at CEPI’s annual event and 25th anniversary at European Paper Week in November 2017.

From the shortlist, three successful researchers will be granted the award and invited to present their work at the High Level Session at our annual event. They will also be automatically entered into an international competition where they will be within the chance of winning the global “Global Blue Sky Innovation Award” at a CEO’s roundtable in 2019.
Eligibility criteria

Candidates must:

- Have an idea that could revolutionise the paper industry. The idea is not only about research and development; it is about innovation and about being inspirational, interesting and green.
- Be under 35 years of age
- Currently be working under the supervision of a European research institute or university (regardless of nationality)
- Be fluent in English with good presentation skills
Registration is open now. Applications can be submitted here.
We encourage applicants to apply early. If you are a young researcher this could be your chance to share your work with those who matter and propel your idea to the forefront of the paper industry!

For more information, please contact Bernard de Galembert at b.degalembert@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 2 627 49 27

The European paper industry has today launched the reviewed version of its 2050 Roadmap detailing the pathways and investment needed to cut its carbon emissions by 80% while creating 50% more added-value. The Roadmap projects the need for €44 billion more investment - a 40% increase on current levels - to transform industry in Europe and lead the low-carbon bioeconomy by 2050.

The Confederation of European Paper Industry (CEPI) pioneered in 2011 the first low-carbon industry Roadmap. It is today the first industry to table a blueprint to bolster industry transformation. Today the industry reaffirms its vision that decarbonisation and growth are mutually compatible and calls for a better alignment of policy, research and financing conditions to boost investment in Europe.

“Since our first Roadmap in 2011 the paper industry has invested €15 billion in Europe. More must be done to accelerate industry transformation in Europe over the next decade” say Sylvain Lhôte CEPI’s Director General. “It is now essential to lift-off the low-carbon bioeconomy and pace of transformation”

From energy efficiency to deployment of breakthrough technologies, emissions reduction pathways were estimated to require a combined additional investment of €24 billion by 2050. A further €20 billion of investment would be required to boost the production of new low carbon bio-based products.

“The European Commission has rightly put the focus back on investment” adds Sylvain Lhôte “However; it lacks a long-term commitment to drive manufacturing investments back to Europe. The time to act is now; the policy framework for the next decade is being shaped now and over the next three years”.

For more information, please contact Bernard de Galembert at b.degalembert@cepi.org or by phone at (+32) 2 627 49 27
For press related enquiries, please contact Ben Kennard at b.kennard@cepi.org or by phone at (+32 487 39 21 82)

The European paper industry has launched the reviewed version of its 2050 Roadmap detailing the pathways and investment needed to cut its carbon emissions by 80% while creating 50% more added-value. The Roadmap projects the need for €44 billion more investment - a 40% increase on current levels - to transform industry in Europe and lead the low-carbon bioeconomy by 2050.

The European paper industry is a highly innovative sector. Its strategic vision of reconciling sustainability and competitiveness, the inherent properties of its raw materials, and the transformation the sector is going through are already delivering new products, new technologies, new bio-values, and business opportunities. In 2011, CEPI launched the 2050 Roadmap to a low-carbon bioeconomy, as the very first European manufacturing industry sector to react to the European Commission’s roadmap towards a low-carbon economy with its own sector roadmap. The Two Team Project, which ran in 2013, seeked to find the most innovative breakthrough technologies of the industry with two teams competing against each other. Eight breakthrough technologies made it to the publication. In 2015, CEPI collected more than 40 of the industry’s most innovative products in another publication, The Age of Fibre, showcasing once again the versatility and innovation in the industry. You can find all these publications on this page, dedicated to innovation.